The quest for an optimal xylose pathway in yeast is of utmost importance along the way to realizing the potential of lignocellulosic biomass conversion into fuels and chemicals. An often overlooked aspect of this catabolic pathway is the molecular transport of this sugar. Molecular transporter proteins facilitate monosaccharide uptake and serve as the first step in catabolic metabolism. In this capacity, the preferences, regulation, and kinetics of these transporters ultimately dictate total carbon flux (1-3); and optimization of intracellular catabolic pathways only increases the degree to which transport exerts control over metabolic flux (4, 5). Thus, monosaccharide transport profiles and rates are important design criteria and a driving force to enable metabolic engineering advances (6-10). Furthermore, the presence of other hexose sugars, such as glucose, can hamper efficient transport of xylose by inhibiting sugar transporters. There is a need in the art for efficient transport systems for xylose in yeast when glucose is present. Provided herein are solutions to these and other problems in the art.